Ethereum Foundation to Donate $500K for Tornado Cash Founder’s Defense
The Ethereum Foundation has pledged $500,000 to support the legal defense of Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm, who faces charges related to operating an unlicensed money transmitter.
Ethereum Foundation to Match Donations
- The Foundation will match an additional $750,000 in community donations.
- The commitment was announced on X, emphasizing privacy and coding as non-criminal activities.
Storm's trial is set for July 14 in New York, where he faces multiple charges including money laundering and violation of US sanctions. This occurs amid a shifting regulatory landscape in the US, despite some crypto-friendly policies.
Storm's defense previously sought to dismiss all charges based on a ruling that the U.S. Treasury overstepped its authority by sanctioning Tornado Cash’s smart contracts. Paradigm has also contributed $1.25 million to his legal defense.
Claims of DOJ Obstruction
- Storm alleges the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is obstructing his defense by rejecting most expert witnesses.
- Only one witness, blockchain expert Matthew Edman, was partially accepted with restrictions on his testimony.
- Storm expressed concerns that the DOJ aims to undermine the decentralized finance (DeFi) market.